Max Planck Institute for Biology

A nematode-trapping fungus orchestrates polarity cues, septins, and NOX signaling for trap formation

Reprogramming cell morphogenesis in response to environmental cues is fundamental to microbial adaptation and survival. The nematode-trapping fungus (NTF) Arthrobotrys oligospora exemplifies this plasticity by developing adhesive traps to capture nematodes. However, mechanisms un...

Community composition drives metabolic competition and Staphylococcus aureus colonization resistance in synthetic nasal communities

Abstract The human nasal microbiome is a low-diversity ecosystem whose assembly principles and mechanisms of colonization resistance remain poorly understood. Staphylococcus aureus is a member of the nasal microbiome of some individuals with variable abundance. We hypothesized th...

The human gut microbiome primes fever after vaccination

Fever is a common adverse reaction to vaccination, contributing to vaccine hesitancy and reduced uptake. To understand variation in fever risk, we longitudinally profiled fecal microbiota, oral temperature, and serological markers in 171 healthy adults receiving Severe acute resp...

Gut resilience and clinical homeostasis following administration of neomycin and albendazole in soil-transmitted helminth-infected adults living in Lambaréné, Gabon

Abstract Purpose Gut resilience and systemic homeostasis are interrelated dynamic functions. A gut that fails to regulate intestinal barrier integrity, metabolite production, and immune regulation will lead to systemic pathogenic invasion and susceptibility to infections. Gut res...

A conserved archaeal protein with evolutionary links to bacterial ribosome hibernation and eukaryotic energy sensing

Ribosome hibernation helps cells survive stress by reversibly silencing translation and preserving ribosomal complexes. Although well characterized in bacteria and eukaryotes, archaeal hibernation remains poorly understood. Using cryoEM of archaeal lysates, we identified AHA (AMP...

A multifunctional PKS-NRPS megasynthetase in nematodes produces divergent signaling molecules that control different developmental arrests

To maximize their reproductive success, nematodes not only must arrest their development in response to adverse growth conditions but also must quickly recover if conditions improve. However, the molecular signals that coordinate these transitions remain poorly understood. Here,...

Building coiled coils with polar cores

Coiled coils are formed by α-helices winding around each other into superhelical bundles. They are characterized by a specific geometry of interaction, called knobs-into-holes, in which residues in the core of the structure mesh regularly along a seam that runs the length of the...

Machine-optimized parametric computer assisted design (CAD) of a stable flying wing UAV glider

Abstract Designing a statically stable flying-wing UAV glider is a highly nonlinear problem in which small geometric changes cause large shifts in stability and performance. While prior work has applied gradient-based and gradient-free methods to flying-wing aerodynamic optimizat...

DVE-1 is a telomere-binding protein and links the NuRD complex to telomere regulation in C. elegans

Telomeres are repetitive DNA sequences at the ends of linear chromosomes bound by specialized proteins. In our previous quantitative proteomics screen for telomere-binding proteins of Caenorhabditis elegans , we identified DVE-1, a homolog of mammalian SATB proteins and a transcr...